Rising Flames
by NakanoHana
Summary: Axel is a dragon knight in training who wants to see the world. But when he leaves his quiet little village, what will he find? An evil queen who wages bitter war on all living creatures? A mysterious orphan with strange powers? Betrayal, jealousy, love?
1. Chapter 1

Well, here I go again. Working on too many stories at once. But this one is actually randomly thought up and not based on anything I can think of, so yay for that! :)

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_/The dark shall spread across the land_

_It's tendrils sap both beast and man_

_The bonds of love and guidance turn_

_To wrath and pain, as spirits burn/_

_/Bitter spite shall fan the flames_

_And those that die all bare the blame_

_The world will cry and suffer so_

_As life will writhe on high and low/_

_/But hidden by a fault unseen_

_A child will stand to oppose the queen_

_His heart empowers all to fight_

_His soul shines forth to break the night/_

_/Firaga's half will be his shield_

_To lift what 'lone he cannot wield_

_Both youths' strength untest'd may be_

_But each must fight to then be free/_

_/They'll battle off the evil's day_

_Their hearts to wicked schemes may sway_

_But harken, those who seek to fight_

_All hearts hold both the dark and light.../_

_ ~The Last Recorded Prophesy of the Moon Children_

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Chaos. The village of Brale was under attack in the dead of night, split by the shattering screams. Armor and weapons clashed in vain all around; the villagers fell left and right in the onslaught. Even those who tried to stand and fight were quickly dispatched without mercy, littering the ground as the putrid smell of death mixed with the smoke. The air burned angrily, suffocating those who tried to run.

No one had known the knights were coming until it was too late...

Unearthly roars then shook the village, shaking the small, wooden huts to their very foundations and toppling them. Many stopped and grasped their ears, screaming loudly in terror as another fireball was shot into the village, burning the flimsy structures to the ground and badly charring anyone foolish enough, or unlucky enough, to have been standing in its path. The knights dismounted on the rooftops, watching the horrified people scramble for their lives. They looked so utterly bored, and yet fascinated at the same time, watching cruelly as if these were animals they murdered, not truly people..

"Worms, the whole lot of them..."

The knights all turned to see a dark, hooded figure standing upon the roof behind them. The hood was drawn up over her face, concealing it from the people below in the glare of the surrounding firelight. But the knights knew her instantly by sight, each hastening to bow low in respect.

"Your Majesty. We have taken the village of Brale, as you requested."

"Perfect," she replied evilly, pushing her hood back to reveal a vicious smile.

"This is the last of those wretched villages we must burn. The gem and its bearer must be here!"

One knight rose to his feet and approached her, signaling the other men to move out and continue the attack. He could clearly see his queen's expression, even through the smoke of the fires, and his eyes followed hers, scanning the crowds of fleeing innocents for the one they sought.

"How will we know which child bears the gem, Your Majesty?"

"The only clue we have is to search for blue eyes, the most telling sign of regality among their people." Looking about in the crowd, though, she glared upon seeing so many vermin with bright, frightened blue eyes searching for sanctuary.

"Don't trouble yourself to take him alive, Rolland," the queen said calmly, patting his shoulder lovingly. It sent a rather unpleasant chill down his spine, but the old knight new better than to react to it in front of his queen."The Black Gem was easy enough to take from that old fool in Free, and that was only me back then. Robbing a child should be all the easier for you. Just remember, your orders are to destroy the whole village and take whatever you like, but search the corpses and bring me the gem without fail! I don't care if you have to burn the whole forest to the ground, just see that it gets done!"

"Yes, Your Majesty." With that, the queen was gone, and Rolland smirked as he jumped back down into the fray. He and his men had been itching for a fight for so long, and tonight nothing would be left standing in their wake...

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"Mommy! Where are you?"

A young boy with ash-riddled blond hair ran through the panicking crowds, who shoved and scurried as they attempting to escape the village. The boy was only eight years old, and he cried loudly now, confused and afraid to be separated from his family.

Where had they gone? He had been out playing with the other children in the fields when the fires started, and now everyone was screaming and crying! The nearby streets were full of fire and bodies, and everywhere he looked was red, red, red, as the angry flames roared higher...

"Mommy!" he cried louder, tears spilling out over pale cheeks as he was pushed back into the dirt path by a stampede of people. Grabbing his head and simply hoping that no one would trample him in the chaos, the small boy sobbed.

"Stop it...Stop...MAKE IT STOP!"

Suddenly, a hand reached from out of nowhere and grabbed him by the back of his shirt, pulling him out of the crowded street and into a nearby alley. Pulled into a warm embrace, the little blond turned and watched as more people still scrambled by outside, fascinated and yet frightened as he watched the mesmerizing flames.

Feeling a light shake, the boy blinked up, his blue eyes meeting familiar ones.

"Mommy!" He threw himself into her arms again, sobbing hysterically and clinging to her like a life line.

"M-Mommy...what's going on? I-I can't find H-Hayner and Olette a-anywhere! Are they o-okay?"

"Shhhhh...baby, it's alright..." the woman soothed back, stroking his head softly as he hiccuped. Suddenly, something from one of the huts nearby exploded in flame, and his mother looked at him seriously, holding him out a little to face her.

"I'm sure they'll be fine. But right now, I need you to listen to me carefully, Roxas."

Her voice was urgent, and the young boy wiped his eyes softly as he sniffled.

"There's been an attack on the village, baby. I don't know what they want, but it isn't safe here anymore. I want you to get as far away from here as you possibly can-"

"But Mommy!" Roxas sobbed again, burying his head in her shoulder desperately. "I don't wanna go without you! I-I don't know _where_ to go!"

"Sweetie, you have to listen to me." She rocked him a little, walking briskly back out of the alley and hoisting him up into her arms as she began to run.

"You have to keep running, do you understand? Don't stop, don't speak to anyone! Make it as far as you can, and don't look back, alright, Roxas?"

The little boy's grip tightened on her shoulder tightened. As he was carried down the street, Roxas looked up to see large, angry monsters on some of the rooftops of the houses, obscured slightly by the thick, black smoke that rose all around them. They glared down at him with their yellow eyes and fierce teeth, and even in the shadows it was utterly menacing.

Roxas shivered, burying his head again as his mother managed to reach the forest.

"Roxas? Do you promise me?"

His looked up quickly at the pleading sound in his mother's voice. She set him down on his feet at the edge of the forest, ushering him towards it urgently.

Roxas nodded shakily. "O-Okay...But you're coming too, r-right Mommy?"

"You there! What are you doing?"

The woman gasped at the stranger's voice, pushing her son behind her instinctively as she turned to face the approaching man. He was tall and muscular, with long brown hair that hung down the back of his armor and swayed lightly as he approached. He wore a strange-looking eye-patch, no doubt hiding a wound from his escapades with the queen's knights, and his vicious scowl did nothing to diminish his hardened, burly look.

The woman whispered softly, but urgently.

"Go, my son. Get out of here, as fast as you can!" And with that, she took off running in a different direction, leading the angry man away from the trees where her son was hiding.

"Get back here, woman! Answer me!"

Roxas blinked back tears as he watched her go, feeling strangely confused and betrayed. She didn't even look back as she left him there...

Startled by another explosion of fire nearby, Roxas turned tail and ran deeper into the woods, the screams of his people and the howling of the strange monsters burning in his ears and spurring him on to run faster. If he wasn't gone soon, the whole forest might catch fire, and he'd always been taught that a wildfire was one of the most dangerous situations he could ever face. Chancing a quick look back at the slowly spreading fire in the village, the little blond didn't doubt the truth of that.

Roxas grabbed a hold of the pendant around his neck with a small, shaking fist, praying that his powers would awaken and he could do something to help his village. But the snow white gem only glowed faintly in response, doing nothing at all no matter how hard he called to it. The boy sobbed a little hopelessly at that. He was still too little to fight or do much of anything, and by nature he was a bit of a coward. No one had ever said it to him out loud, but the boy knew they were thinking it...

Roxas was no hero. He wasn't brave or strong like Hayner, or any of his friends, and he doubted he ever would be. It should be him that burned alive back there in the village, not them. _He'd_ never be helpful to anyone...

The boy stumbled on a stray root and yelped as he hit the ground. He sat up quickly and whined a little as he inspected the scrape on his knee, but his mother's voice urged him on.

_"Keep running...Don't stop...Don't speak..."_

He repeated the mantra in his head, trying to ignore the fresh tears welling in his eyes. He couldn't even stand the small pain in his knee, how was he ever supposed to...

A sudden, loud crack rang out behind him, loud and powerful like thunder, and he turned and stared wide-eyed as the trees were then consumed in the angry red flame. The fire had hit the forest now too!

The trees were dry from a recent drought, one that surprisingly no one had been able to counter, and without enough water now, the whole forest would surely burn!

Roxas wanted to stop and put out the fire, but his magic was underdeveloped, and he didn't know any spells to summon the rain or snow. He could only watch in horror as the fire drew closer, and the roars and howls filled the sky once more. Trees swayed uneasily around him, one even toppling over and making him jump as it crashed to the ground and spread its flames onto the dead grass.

Clasping his hands tightly over his ears, Roxas bit back a scream and shut his eyes, running and crashing through dried brush and foliage without care. The terrain was slowly becoming more treacherous, and he stumbled more and more trying to navigate it in his panic.

Soon, the dark, ashy smoke in the air got to him, and Roxas coughed as it filled his lungs, trying to smother him. It was raining flames and soot everywhere, and the boy had to dive a little to one side as a burning branch almost came crashing down on his head. Picking himself up and brushing off his clothes hastily, Roxas ran and ran until he thought he couldn't run anymore. He saw a few animals occasionally running around in a panic, eyes rolling madly as they too tried to escape the burning enferno.

And still, the fire followed him, like flaming hounds chasing his scent and stalking him to the ends of the earth...

"Please...I don't wanna die!" Roxas cried desperately. He knew it was probably a selfish thing to wish, when his village was burning to the ground somewhere behind him, but he no longer cared. He was too terrified.

"I-I want my mommy!"

Another loud explosion shook the nearby trees, as the wind picked up and battered the burning plants. Were the monsters following him? Roxas doubted that the fire could have spread so quickly like this naturally...

Perhaps there was magic involved. But only the dragons were capable of such magic, other than his own people, and the dragons were usually a peaceful bunch that cherished nature and the forests as much as his people did. They could be violent, and they were very strong, but rarely did they harm nature without a just cause...

Roxas had never seen a dragon before, being so young and barely into his first year of schooling, but he'd read about them and heard many stories. Were these really the same mighty, heroic beasts that he'd always dreamed of?

Roxas coughed harshly again, covering his mouth and nose with his hand to keep some of the smoke out. Feeling light-headed and dizzy, Roxas dropped down to his knees and placed his other hand out in front to steady himself, panting and coughing as the smoke rose higher. More tears flowed from his eyes, and his insides felt like they were burning with the rest of the forest...

Suddenly, he heard a strange noise from above, and rolled under a nearby bush just in time for a huge creature to fly overhead, causing the trees to shake fiercely in the wind. As the beast circled around and cried out into the night, Roxas hesitantly brought his head out from under the shrub and looked up. His breathed hitched as he examined the beast above him fearfully.

There was no mistake; that monster was a dragon. Even from where he hid, Roxas could see the glowing yellow eyes searching hungrily for something...

It had to be after him...

The boy finally let out a sigh of relief as the dragon flew off, seeking its prey elsewhere. But he couldn't understand what was going on at all! Why were they coming after him? And why did they have to burn down the whole village over one child?

As he ran on, Roxas turned his head back and looked up at the sky where the creature had just flown; it's massive, scaly wings spread wide against the harvest moon. Not looking where he was going, the boy stumbled as his foot made contact with another rock, and he whimpered as he expected to hit the hard, dry, dusty ground yet again.

But instead, Roxas found himself tumbling off of a small cliff into a bed of large, hard rocks, slamming his head hard as he landed.

The boy moaned softly in pain, blinking his hazy eyes up at the sky as he tried to stay awake. But the pain throbbed violently in his skull, and that combined with the surrounding heat and smoke battered his senses and threatened to overtake him quickly. His limbs and head felt heavy, as if they were being weighed down by thick, iron chains...

"M-Mommy..."

Soon Roxas just couldn't fight it anymore, and he fell limp against the cold stone as the world burned all around him...

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"WHAT? YOU HAVEN'T FOUND THE GEM YET?"

The men winced inwardly and begged for forgiveness as the queen growled and stomped impatiently.

"I NEED THAT GEM! THE PROCESS ISN'T COMPLETE UNTIL BOTH THE BLACK AND WHITE GEMS ARE UNITED IN BLOOD!"

Rolland stepped forward, dragging a middle-aged woman with grey-blond hair behind him.

"Your Majesty, the village elder survived the attack. I caught her on the edge of the forest trying to escape." The knight thrust her forward, sending her to the ground literally at the queen's feet. The dark-clad woman was still fuming, and she placed the heel of her hard boots onto the woman's left hand, pressing down hard.

"Well, well. The last of the Jessari. I've waited long for the day I could eradicate your kind from the face of the earth...Funny, you don't look old enough to be the village elder..."

"Wisdom and guidance are not confined to age, heartless queen...though as one so young, you are certainly lacking in both!" the elder spat back, gritting her teeth.

Larxene glared viciously, but said nothing to that. She pressed down harder on the woman's hand, taking pleasure in her pained noises.

"Answer me now, old woman! You try my patience! Now where is the White Gem?"

The blond woman groaned but still glared defiantly, her face stubbornly set.

"It has been scattered to the wind, just as the ashes of my people are now. The earth will not stand for this imbalance, nor its injustice. You will never have what you desire!"

Larxene let out a feral growl, glaring back into those cold blue eyes angrily. Another hard press of the queen's heel, and Rolland came over and kicked the elder hard in the stomach, sending her rolling over groaning in the dirt.

"You are speaking to her majesty, Queen Larxene, and you will show her the proper respect, filthy worm!"

Larxene bent low, almost so that her knees touched the ground, and she grabbed the woman's tunic roughly and hoisted her into the air.

"I will ask you one last time, WHERE IS THE OTHER GEM?"

The queen drew out the pendant around the woman's neck, seeing it glowed a pale gold in the light of the fires. It was an unusual color, that was for sure, but it was clearly not the gem she was looking for. Growling, she pulled out the pitch black pendant around her own neck, and pressed the gems together harshly. The elder cried out loudly in pain, writhing in Larxene's grasp.

"TELL ME, OR I'LL POISON YOU SLOWLY WITH THIS AND LET YOU SUFFER THE SLOWEST, MOST PAINFUL DEATH I CAN CONCEIVE FOR YOU!"

The woman spat angrily, around gritted teeth.

"N-Never, y-you vile s-snake!"

Larxene threw her to the ground and screamed angrily. "NO! I WILL NOT ACCEPT THIS!" She turned back and commanded the knights to take the old woman away, and glared at the moon in thought. The woman had to be lying, there was no way it could be gone...

The gems the Jessari wore around their necks acted as a life and power source, made of a natural earth stone combined with their spiritual energies. Even once the person had died, the stone would endure, based on the power and potential of the life force within it. It wouldn't simply turn to dust and fade away as the Jessari did. No, the queen knew that from experience...

The name Jessari translated in Haelian to mean 'spirit children,' and they were a stubborn yet powerful race that lived in peace with nature. Larxene was overjoyed that she could be rid of them once and for all, so that they could never again be a threat to her plans. All she needed now was the Gem of Light, or the White Gem as it was also called. Unlike the pale gem the elder wore, this gem was supposedly pure white, innocent and untainted by the malice of the world unlike the Black Gem. It held energy enough to equal the Black Gem's power, and was essentially the gem's brother; it's other half...

it was paramount that the gem be found, before it faded into obscurity and extinction with the Jessari themselves.

Rolland soon joined her again, watching her angry expression with worry. Even the queen's closest servants were not safe from her unholy wrath.

"Do not fear, Your Majesty. We are scouring the forest for any sign of the gem or its bearer. It will not escape us..."

Larxene's grip tightened on the wooden railing in front of her, digging her fingers into the splintered wood harshly without so much as a flinch.

"No, it certainly won't..."


	2. Chapter 2

_8 Years Later..._

"Axel! Jeez!...Are you ever getting up?"

The tangled mass of red spiked hair merely grunted and rolled over, brushing her off entirely. Kairi pouted for a minute before an evil grin spread across her face, and she tip-toed closer to the bed silently.

The room was dark like a cave, save for the little crack of light coming in through the side of the shade. A bag rested at the foot of the bed, shoved to the brim with rumpled clothes and various knick-knacks, and anyone who didn't know Axel well might have guessed that the bag of clothes was actually an overflowing fountain. The room was littered with a sea of clothes, broken up by the occasional single boot or belt scattered here and there, and it all reeked like a chicken coop in the summer time.

Axel was buried in the center of the chaos, already snoring again beneath the light cotton blanket. He shifted a little in his sleep, completely unaware of the danger that crept slowly closer...

Braving the heavy parts of the war zone, Kairi made it right up to the side of the bed and, without warning, jerked the shade up quickly.

"Argh!" Axel shouted, instantly bringing his arm up and over his eyes. The sun around here was bright enough to annoy even the most sober sleepers.

"Kairi, what the hell? Couldn't you have just...I don't know...poked me or something?"

The younger redhead smiled sweetly in return.

"I do whatever I have to get your lazy ass out of bed...I mean, come on, Axel! Didn't Leon_ just say _yesterday that he had something important to discuss during the lesson today? And that you'd have to be up bright and early for training?"

Axel groaned and sat up slowly, running a hand through his messy spikes irritably. He blinked hazily around the room as his eyes adjusted, wincing when his gaze feel once again on the blaring light from the window.

Suddenly, his emerald eyes widened, and he snapped his attention back to his younger sister.

"Damn it, Kairi! The sun's been up for hours, hasn't it?" he snapped, glaring fiercely.

"It's not my fault you sleep like a rock...And besides, you need to start taking responsibility for your own problems. I'm not always gonna be around to baby you, you know!"

Axel snorted, jumping out of bed and heading straight for a mountain of clothes piled high next to the closet.

"I'm fine by myself, thanks," he grumbled, digging through the mess. "Leon and I're probably gonna leave here soon so I can get some more training anyways. I'm just worried that _you _can't look after yourself!"

The young girl smiled softly, much more like her usual self. She came over quickly to the spot he was kneeling by and gave him a good whack on the head.

"Ow!" Axel rubbed his temple briefly before pulling out a long, simple green tunic and slipping it over his bare chest. "You can't blame a guy for worrying!"

"I know..." Kairi watched him dig frantically for a few minutes before she shook her head and sighed.

"I'm gonna be fine! I'm a big girl now!" she smiled proudly, flexing her skinny left bicep. "I've been managing this house and cleaning up after you for how many years now? I think I can do it just fine without you in the equation!"

Axel looked up, dumb-founded, as his sister walked over and dove her hand into a pile of clothes behind the bed. Within seconds, she had pulled out his trusty googles, and he gaped when she came over and dropped them in his hand, still smiling.

Even if he was still slightly peeved, he couldn't hold back a small smile in return. For all her nagging, Kairi was a very warm and caring person. She was fun to be around when she came out her shell and opened up to others a little, and all annoying baby sister crap aside, Axel couldn't have imagined the past few years without her.

"Now get your ass to that lesson, you bum. I'm praying I don't need to help you find the door too?" She was trying to act cute, but her eyes showed how innocent she really was.

Axel just huffed and stuck out his tongue, accepting the googles and throwing a small pack over his shoulder before he strode out the door, ignoring Kairi's nagging.

"Really, Ax! You're nineteen years old! I'm the only one who has an excuse to be childish around here!"

He groaned, slamming the front door on her, mid-sentence.

_Leon's gonna burn my ass for this..._

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Axel ran through the town like a madman, grinning and quickly waving to all the villagers he greeted on the way. But he couldn't stop to chat. It was busy in the square today, and the forest clearing where he was supposed to meet Leon was a good ways away...

Nalgo was only a tiny fishing village, a speck on the map that hardly anyone from the rest of the island kingdom would recognize or pay much attention to. It was quiet, quaint, and out of the way, sitting on a cliff facing the Azure Sea and walled from behind by a deep, dangerous forest. But the people there thrived on the simple life, catching and making what they needed unless it could only be bartered from passing ships.

It was very bright in the earlier part of the morning, a trait of the small village by the sea. A stranger might have been blinded by the intense bright light that rained down upon the rooftops, but Axel barely noticed it anymore. He had lived there for most of his life with his family, having moved there at the age of ten just before his father had disappeared...

Needless to say, everything had all gone downhill since then. His mother had grieved to the point of illness, and died only two years after Reno had disappeared, leaving a young Axel to look after his baby sister alone. But the villagers had been kind and supportive, sharing with them until they were old enough to live on their own, and together he and Kairi had gotten by just fine. It wasn't a bad life, not at all...But Axel was always an adventurous boy, and he wanted a little something more...

The young redhead pushed his way through the overgrown brush and branches quickly, not even hesitating as he sped into the dark, foreboding forest. After some time, he reached the little clearing where the trees broke apart, and the sun burst through to shine upon the grass below.

Suddenly, there was a large gust of wind hitting his back, and Axel spun around quickly to come face-to-face with large, fierce golden eyes.

"You're late, Axel..."

The redhead merely chuckled, and reached out his hand to stroke the hard, stoney flesh beneath the large eye.

"Yeah, yeah, Saix...Just chill...I made it, didn't I?"

The blue dragon sighed, lowering his head so that Axel could reach better.

"You made it...but Leon is not too happy about you showing up three hours late."

"Oh boy, sounds like _that'll _be fun..." the redhead chuckled, a tad nervously. "Did Cloud tell you that, or have you seen him today?"

"I've been talking to Cloud all morning. Leon's debating whether or not he should come to your house and burn it down...Maybe _that'd_ get you out of bed... " The dragon cocked his head slightly, pausing before smirking down at his partner. He chuckled darkly.

"He says you're going to get it...oh, now _that _should be fun to watch!"

"What? What's he saying?" Axel whined back. He hated being left out by his supposed 'partner,' but he couldn't do much about it.

Saix and Cloud were linked by a special scar just beneath their left eyes, a mark they attained in battle with one another. This special mark between dragons allowed them to be able to speak telepathically to one another, and with practice and time, it also allowed a dragon to briefly see through the other's eye. Leon had told him that it was a powerful tool, useful for both fighting and reconnaissance missions.

Saix smirked, turning his back to the human. "And why should I tell you?"

"You big lizard! Who's side are you on, anyway?"

Their conversation was broken, however, when another large gust of wind shook the trees and flowers, and a large shadow appeared over the clearing. A large set of wings flapped, and the shadow slowly descended until it was sitting in the middle of the grass, large blue eyes sparkling in their direction.

The large, golden dragon lowered his neck slowly, and Leon slid off with surprising ease and grace, landing on his feet softly on the grass. The brunet quickly strode over to Axel and crossed his arms, glaring and tapping his foot impatiently. Axel just shrugged nervously.

"Okay! I'm sorry, Leon! I really am! _You know_ I'm a heavy sleeper!"

The man's blue eyes narrowed further, and he held up a hand to silence Axel's pleading. He sighed, rubbing his forehead irritably.

"The path of a true dragon knight is discipline, Axel! You _do_ know what that means, right? You don't have long before you become an adult and are ready to take the dragon trial, but first you have to understand how serious this job is! Dragon-riding is not some game; it is a way of life!"

Axel stepped away from his dragon, looking his master right in the eyes.

"I take this very seriously, Leon. If I even hope to be as great as my dad was one day, I've gotta train long and hard. It was an accident, I promise. It won't happen again..."

Leon sighed again. "Alright, I'll let it slide for today...Let's mount up and practice what I showed you yesterday..."

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"Whew! I'm beat!"

After several hours of intense training, Axel let himself slide off of Saix's back and into the grass, landing with a faint grumble. He stretched out on the ground, wiping the sweat from his brow with the sleeve of his tunic and watching the sun as it moved by slowly overhead.

Saix settled down beside him, extending well beyond Axel in the grass. He was still a fairly young dragon; Axel had only found and tamed him in the forest three years ago, not long before Leon had first stumbled into their quiet little town. But a dragon was a dragon, and even the young ones were twice as big as the average human.

"You really got your act together today. I don't think we've ever flown once without taking out several trees with us..."

Axel grinned and closed his eyes, enjoying the dimmer sunlight.

"Very funny. One of these days, I swear I'm gonna beat Leon! We came so close to catching them off-guard today..."

A shadow spread over him then, and the redhead blinked up to see Leon staring down at him. The brunet smirked a little at him, while still managing to look so serious...

"You wish, brat..."

Leon settled down in the grass beside him, and within seconds Cloud had bounded over and joined them. He carried a small deer in his mouth, only spitting it out when he settled down so that he and Saix could eat. The blue dragon accepted it quietly, staring off into space a little as he dug into the tender flesh.

"Practice was very good today, I'll give you guys that. I see a definite improvement in your strategizing, Axel...but you still need to work on synchronizing with your dragon. Feel his movements, feel his thoughts...Dragon-riding is a team effort, and without a mutual understanding between a dragon and his rider, you'll be knocked out of the sky before you even get to see battle..."

Axel sighed as he pushed his googles up onto his forehead, feeling all too familiar with this lecture.

"And don't waste your skills on performing those silly aerial tricks! Use them only when necessary; when you need to dodge an enemy, for example..."

Cloud chuckled deeply around a mouthful of venison, swishing his tail back and forth almost like a cat. "Yeah, Saix...Stop dancing around like a show pony and fight! Your enemies won't be impressed for long if you die!"

"Shut up!" the younger dragon growled, getting up and leaping into the air, a gust of wind tearing up the clearing in his wake. He flew off in a huff, a dark speck against the sun as Cloud continued to snicker. Leon just shook his head.

"I swear, I'm never going to make it to a ripe old age, between the two of you hotheads..."

Axel just grinned back mischievously. He then turned back to watching his partner's shadow vanish in the sky, leaning back into the grass. He sighed a little.

According to Leon, most dragon-human partnerships began when the rider found the dragon's egg and hatched it on his own with loving care. That was supposedly how Leon had bonded with Cloud; the man was a bit of an enigma, having stumbled into the village years ago, injured, and taking up residence in the dark, dangerous old forest. He didn't talk much about his life before, but Axel suspected that he had once been one of the great dragon knights himself..

He didn't doubt that the bond between the old hermit and his dragon was powerful; it seemed almost ancient, and as strong as a bond between lovers or family. It was as if they could read each other's thoughts and moves...like they worked as one unified body, flying together in the sky...

But Axel's bond with Saix was different. He had found Saix after he'd already hatched, wandering the forest as a young, hormonal male dragon. By some miracle, Axel had saved the forest from being burned or torn down completely in his wake, and had even somehow gotten the dragon to trust him. But Leon had warned him that the bond was unnatural, and not nearly as strong as a traditional one.

Accepting that fact for what it was, Axel and his partner each had a lot to make up for. And half the time, he didn't have a clue about what the blue dragon was thinking...

"I have some news I'm sure you've been anxiously waiting for, though..."

The redhead looked up at his master, eyes sparkling as his interest peaked. Cloud laughed with another big chunk of meat in his mouth, and Leon couldn't help but smile a little at his pupil's enthusiasm.

"I've taught you just about all I can, given the circumstances. So I think it's time we set out on a journey to further your training, and give you a glimpse of the world and what it means to be a true dragon knight..."

Axel almost jumped, looking much too excited for someone his age.

"You mean it? It's really time?"

The brunet nodded, looking back and meeting Cloud's eyes before turning back to him.

"We will go with you as far as we can, and when we deem you worthy, you two may go it alone. But I warn you now, Axel...The true dragon knights are now dead and gone. The ones that remain are greedy, selfish, and weak; they gave into the queen's power without so much as a fight and now they serve her evil whims, bullying the people they were once bound to protect. If you still wish to become a knight after all that you see, I will not stop you from going to Arentail and taking the trial. But I hope you will continue to aspire for better things. I hope that you will keep working to be the knight your father was, and never surrender your will and values for the will of another..."

Axel calmed a bit, listening to his words and nodding in affirmation. He then laughed a little, and Leon didn't fail to note the slight bitterness in his voice.

"I promise, Leon... I'll be _better_ than my dad ever was. _I'll_ never let anyone down..."

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The next day, all of the villagers gathered in the large, white cobblestone square, watching as Axel tied a large pack to his dragon's saddle, tightening the belts so that it wouldn't shake loose in poor conditions. Leon and Cloud had yet to show up, so the redhead used this time to say goodbye to the people who had done so much for him.

"Are ya sure ya want to be doin this, Axel?"

The redhead turned to see the old blacksmith Cid standing behind him, wearing a dusty tunic and a worn, concerned expression. The boy smiled, pushing his googles back a bit on his forehead before he went and embraced the old man warmly.

"Ya know ya can stay, right? Now's a bad time tuh be joinin the knights, ya mark me!"

"I hear ya, old man," Axel shot back, grinning playfully. " But this is something I _want_ to do. I want to find out why my dad just left us here, and all the stuff mom wouldn't tell us..._And _see a little bit of the world out there!" He hoped for a little adventure on his journey...

Cid smiled back, but even as his wrinkles moved, the smile didn't completely reach his eyes.

"Be safe, lad. And know ya can always come back if ya need tuh."

Axel grinned back, punching him lightly in the arm.

"Thanks, Cid..."

The other villagers bid his goodbye as well, each of them trying to give him food or something to remember them by.

"Guys! Guys! I'm not going away forever!"

Many expressed their concerns about his journey, warning him of dangers beyond the forest. Not all villages were peaceful and happy like this one, which had the blessing of being small and not very noticeable. There was violence in the other cities and villages, where the cruelty of the queen stretched far across, like a shadow blocking out the beautiful, brilliant rays of of the sun...

"I know..." he replied to each of them. "That's why I need to go see it for myself. I need to know the people I'm fighting for, and _what _I'm fighting for! Experience is the only way I'll get any better..."

Last but not least, Kairi came forward with a small pack of food for the trip. Looking back at the grumpy and over-saddled Saix, Axel laughed heartily and accepted the food, slinging it over his right shoulder easily.

_If we get any more food and supplies for the trip, we're never gonna make it back off the ground! _He laughed to himself.

Kairi quivered a little as she stood in front of him, and Axel stopped laughing for a minute so he could watch her. Despite his sister's assertion that she'd be just fine, the older redhead could see small tears forming in her bright blue eyes as she embraced him. He sighed and smiled, ruffling her hair softly.

"I'm not gone for good, Kai. You said yourself that this would be good for me... 'It's character-building, and lots of hard work!' I believe those were your exact words..." Axel chuckled, imitating her nagging pitch almost perfectly. He smiled playfully, reassuringly, as his sister slowly looked up from where she was buried in his shirt.

Slowly, Kairi wiped a tear from her eye and stepped back, smiling back.

"Yeah...Just be careful out there, Axel..."

Just then, some of the crowd moved aside as Leon came walking into the square, his faithful golden dragon strutting proudly behind him. Cloud really did look regal in the bright sunlight, as it reflected on his rock-hard scales and gave him a brilliant glow.

Axel patted Kairi on the head one last time as he turned to go.

"Don't worry, Kai...I will..."

In a slow, but excited procession, the young dragon knight hopeful left with his master to begin their journey beyond the forest. And as everything familiar to him faded into the background, Axel wondered what to expect of the large, exciting world beyond...


	3. Chapter 3

Whew! Long chapter, but I hope you like it so far :)

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The forest was deep and very old. Many trees grew healthy and strong, but they all carried the same mossy dullness, the same worn appearance that made them look a thousand years old. Axel grumbled slightly as he trekked through the dense forest, trying to keep up with Leon. The man didn't seem fazed by the natural obstacles, and merely kept going at his fast pace.

"Geez, Leon! Would you slow down a little?" the redhead snapped irritably, pulling the pack of food up a bit on his shoulder and pulling his foot out of a thick base of mud. Axel grimaced at that, slowly pulling his feet up and out to walk forward. "How do you even know where we're going in this place?"

"We just have to keep heading southeast, Axel." the man said casually, breaking off a few branches of trees he passed by and holding them under his arm. "But, to answer your question, Axel, Cloud and Saix are following overhead. They'll let us know if we're going in the wrong direction."

Axel sighed lightly in annoyance, pulling harder at his legs. He began sprinting awkwardly until he'd reached more solid ground, flopping down on the grass even as his master kept walking.

"Can we...take a...break?" he panted. "How long...have we been walking...anyways?"

Leon sighed and turned back to him, a look of slight impatience on his face.

"Axel, it's only been a few hours. At this rate, it'll take us two days to reach Zhari!"

"Is it really that far?" Axel whined. "Wouldn't it be easier to go north? And why can't we just ride there?"

The old brunette sighed again, dropping the twigs he was carrying and sitting down beside his lazy student. "If we headed north, in the direction of Lake Lyli, it would take us several more days to finally get out of this forest. We'd also be a little closer to Arentail than I'd like. Zhari, the closest village to the southeast, is further from the capitol, and still partially closed off by the forest. We should keep our dragons covered for as long as we can; we don't want to frighten people or give them the wrong idea..."

Axel looked thoughtful at that, but he still groaned.

It was then that they both felt a small, pleasant breeze, gently shaking the leaves and flowers in the wind as it passed through. An instant later, several small, glowing balls float up from the grass, practically dancing around in the air like fireflies on a hot, summer night. Leon smiled and held out his palm, watching one of the little bulbs of light land on it softly, light as a feather. He laughed as the tiny being smiled.

"It seems we ended up in a nest of faeries. I've never seen ones so docile like this..."

"That's because they're not!" Axel grumbled, swatting his hands as the bulbs tugged his hair and clothes. One small, blue faery dove into his bag and came out hoarding a small bundle of fruit and crackers, almost flying away with them before Axel caught the little imp in his cupped hands.

"Gotcha! ...Hey- Ow!" He pulled back his hand quickly and examined it, while the faery laughed and fluttered away, disappearing in a nearby knothole. The other little bulbs of light seemed to disperse as well, going back about their business in the grass and trees. Leon watched them go as he laughed, listening to the redhead whine like a baby.

"Hey! It's not funny! The stupid thing bit me!"

"Sure it is. Axel, the self-proclaimed ultimate dragon rider, is afraid of a few wood faeries. That's quite the weakness..." The brunette snorted, barely covering another laugh. Wood faeries were relatively harmless creatures, though they had been known to pick on lost and weary travelers for the fun of it. Faeries in general were a little mischievous by nature, but they could swarm like a horde of bees and claw and bite attackers, leaving many bloody little souvenirs that took a long time to heal...

"Im not afraid!" Axel spat back. "Their bites sting! Like a weasel's or a ferrets almost!... And_ being_ such a great dragon rider, like you said, shouldn't we ride at least _part_ of the way to Zhari?"

"No! If you want to be a true dragon knight, you have to train the body as well as the mind!" Leon said knowingly, propping his back up against a tree and pulling a paopu fruit from his pocket. "A little exercise is good for you, being so skinny and all, you could do to build up some muscles..."

"Oh, please. I so _do_ have muscles!" He pulled back the sleeve of his tunic and flexed it, grinning widely. "See?"

The two dragons, who'd been hovering above, landed a few feet away in a gust of wind. Leaves and trees rustled a bit before settling down again, and Axel grinned as his partner sat down next to him, propping his head up against the scales.

"Well, I guess I've been overruled, haven't I?" Leon smiled a little as he stood, walking around to several trees and snapping the weaker branches off. Axel watched him curiously for a few minutes, listening the Cloud and Saix argue about who would go out hunting that evening.

"What's with all that stuff, Leon?"

The brunet raised an eyebrow incredulously, as he snapped another large twig in half.

"What's it look like? Something tells me it'll be cold tonight..."

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In no time at all, dusk fell over the woods, and all the life that buzzed within began to settle down for the night. It was cold, just as Leon predicted, and he piled the wood high in the center of the clearing before Cloud set it alight.

The small group huddled around the crackling flames, as Axel turned the rabbit Saix had caught on a small spit above the fire. He smiled watching the embers dance and swirl, as the smell of roasting meat floated up in black smoke into the air...

Soon, everyone had eaten, and the dragons settled themselves down to sleep nearby, allow for plenty of space to stretch out. But the two humans were wide awake, and the younger of the two was especially curious, as he stared up at the tree tops and the stars that scattered across the sky.

"Hey, Leon? You came through this forest before...What sort of dangerous things live here?"

The brunette smiled, turning his tired blue eyes to watch the dying fire.

"These woods are filled with many strange plants and animals; some harmful, some benign. But just about anything can be dangerous when provoked, as you saw with the wood faeries..." Axel snorted indignantly, muttering as Leon continued.

"Appearances can be deceiving, Axel. Always remember that. The smallest, cutest looking ones can also be the nastiest, meanest fighters when it comes to defending themselves...And it can also work vice versa for things that we don't understand that terrify us. The key to a healthy balance is knowledge, and putting it to good use."

The redhead nodded, then watched curiously as Leon picked up a small, vibrant red flower in his gloved hand. Just as he reached to touch the center, the flower petals snapped up and engulfed his finger, making a strange sucking noise as it did so. Leon didn't panic, didn't even flinch...he just spit on the head of the flower and the bud snapped open again, releasing his finger.

Axel gaped, alarmed, to see that the finger was now black and charred-looking.

"This pretty little flower is known as Firaga's Teeth, named of course for the great dragon clan. As you saw, it acts like a fly trap, sinking its barbs into the flesh to hold it in place, and then excretes a strong-smelling, acidic liquid into the bud, burning its prey as dragon fire would." Casually, he pulled the glove from his hand, revealing the still pink, healthy finger beneath. "If it weren't for these thick, raw-hide gloves, I probably would have lost that finger..."

The redhead was still staring at the blackened glove, scooting further away from another flower he was sitting a little too close to. Leon chuckled, reaching out to the little blue flower and holding its bud gently in its palm for his student to see.

"This one won't hurt you, Axel. It's actually a very simple, yet rare flower called Skybright. It only really grows in the darker parts of the forest, but this one is an exception..."

Axel came slowly closer, hesitant to trust his master's words. The hermit had a strange, almost warped sense of humor at times, and getting his student sick, burned, battered, or cursed was not out of his list of possible tricks. After a few minutes of gentle prodding and starring, Axel leaned back, satisfied that it wasn't going to change colors or spontaneously combust on him.

"So...what _does_ it do anyway?"

The brunette smiled, tracing his finger along one of the soft petals. "Nothing, on its own. It _is_ beautiful though, isn't it?"

"I guess," Axel sighed, stretching a little to get the soreness out of his muscles. They really _had_ been walking quite a while. "Kinda boring though. It's a let down after that other one you found..."

"Don't be so quick to judge, oh great, _wise_ dragon knight," his master chided, looking faintly amused by his dismissal. "Skybright does not burn or break flesh, or attack much at all. This makes it quite vulnerable to the other inhabitants of the forest, and thus few are left alone. They are rare because the animals and even some other plants consider them a delicacy."

"But Skybright is not just some weed to be easily trod on or ignored. It has very strong healing properties..."

Leon plucked one petal from the flower before slowly wringing it over his discarded glove. After a moment, a few small, clear dew drops of liquid dripped from the petal and landed on the deep brown hide. Axel blinked and grinned slightly in awe as the black began to wash away, removing the char as the drops rolled down.

"The petals are good for rashes and burns of varying degrees, but the leaves are really the miracle workers. They are often crushed and mixed to make healing salves and potions; some of the strongest out there, to those who know their craft..."

"Then we should sell it, or take it with us on our journey!" The young redhead reached out to pluck the flower from the grass, but Leon caught his hand, shaking his head sternly.

"Why not? Aren't you the one always saying, 'Let's be prepared for the worst of all possible outcomes'?"

The brunette smiled, silently relieved that the boy had listened to at least _one_ of his lectures.

"You have a point, but the life of this particular breed is very brief, even as flowers go. If we took it with us, it would only wilt faster, and once they've wilted and rotted, both the petals and leaves become utterly useless. We would have to crush them and keep them contained in order to preserve them, and we don't have the right tools to do that now."

Axel sighed at that, this time reaching out to stroke one of the soft petals himself. He was surprised by how thin and light it felt, rolled between his rough fingers.

"Try one of the petals and tell me how it tastes..."

When the redhead shot him an incredulous look, Leon chuckled. "It's quite safe, I assure you. The entire plant is edible..."

Axel stared at the petal for a minute before hesitantly slipping it into his mouth. He instantly tasted something sweet, like a sugary pastry fresh with honeyed glaze, and hummed contently, savoring it.

Then, not one second later, the petal dissolved on his tongue and the tasted vanished. Axel shot Leon a look, praying this hadn't all been a trick just to watch him squirm and be miserable. But the man just smiled without a hint of malice.

"It's sweet, isn't it? It isn't very substantial when you're surviving on it alone, but it rejuvenates the body by supplying a burst of sugar and energy to fuel you until you can find something better. But be careful; it can make you sick if you eat too much too soon, with nothing else in your system..."

_A burst of sugar and energy, huh?...Note to self: Not a good souvenir for Kairi..._

"So we've seen a few plants. What kind of animals live in here?"

Leon rested his chin on his hand, looking thoughtfully at the fire again. It had almost burned down to nothing, and he grabbed a stick and prodded the dying embers slightly.

"There are the usual animals like birds, rabbits, squirrels...The occasional wolf or two will climbed down from the Stone Den Mountains and end up here...Other than that, there are beings of magic. You found out yourself, years ago, that dragons may sometimes appear here, but there are also the faeries, the nymphs, and others of the smaller folk. Nothing too dangerous comes out in the open, unless there's prey involved. But we have two dragons on our side, as well as weapons the creatures here are not familiar with, so we should be fine..."

"Oh..." Axel replied, staring off into space a little now, but still listening. "Where do fairies and things like that come from?"

"Magic draws its power from the earth and all living creatures...but how certain beings became more in tune with it than others, or could even control it, is beyond my knowledge. Very few still know exactly how magic is used to create, but there _are_ many who know its capabilities for destruction..."

Axel nodded, a frustrated scowl working its way across his features. The merchants who occasionally stopped to sell their wares in Nalgo would sometimes stop at the local tavern and tell tales, sharing rumors and news of other villages and cities that called the island kingdom home. Growing up, Axel had heard many stories of the queen and her magical powers, of how she had burned entire villages to the ground and punished the people harshly without just cause.

No one was entirely sure how she gotten a hold of such powers in the first place, but they raved that she was a cruel woman who did as she pleased and killed with no remorse, using the once great dragon knights as a gang to terrorize and subdue her people...

Axel growled, getting angrier just thinking about it. He had never seen the damage done to the other villages, but just hearing about it made his blood boil. The good name of the dragon knights was being dragged through the mud, and people were losing faith that there was anyone who could stand up for them anymore.

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After another day of traveling brought them to the edge of the forest, and Axel thanked every merciful god he could think of that they would finally have beds to sleep in that night. The young redhead scratched the hair around his goggles, sure that he had ticks and bugs crawling in there from the nights sleeping on the cold ground. His hair must have looked pretty warm and inviting...

"Cloud, you and Saix stay in the forest until we summon you. There's no way we can bring the two of you into town without causing a panic, and the thick trees would do the best job of hiding you from spies."

The golden dragon grinned widely, his massive sharp teeth glistening.

"You got it, Leon! And don't worry, Axel! I'll keep this punk in line til you get back!"

The blue dragon snorted indignantly, and Axel didn't bother to hide his amused smirk. Saix was the type that did what you told him, but he'd curse behind your back like a drunken sailor. He bottled stuff up a lot, letting it simmer and flare...and he didn't doubt the dragon was pissed at him for leaving him at the mercy of Cloud.

With that, the two dragons disappeared into the forest, and Leon and Axel took what light things they could carry on their backs, and made their way across the grassy hills to the village.

"Finally! We can stay at an inn, get a decent meal, have a-"

"Axel..."

The redhead glanced at his master, puzzled, as they began walking up a surprisingly tall hill before them. He scratched his itchy scalp again, frowning.

"What's you're deal, Leon? We're almost there! Aren't you happy not to be sleeping on the cold dirt anymore?"

The brunette's blue eyes narrowed slightly, darting various ways as they neared the peak of the hill. The younger boy could instantly tell he was bothered by something...

"Something seems off here. The field is not thriving like it was the last time I came through here, and I feel a tenseness in the air..."

But just as they came over the hill, both of their eyes widened.

What stood before them was a barren town of filthy streets and dusty, worn-looking buildings, surrounded by a large wall that looked new and surprisingly well-kept by comparison. It looked like it had been nice and prosperous...once...

Having a full view from their angle, Leon watched the crowds of people wandering through the main square and streets, some being directed by men in armor. It glinted brightly in the early morning sun...

"The queen's knights," Leon said simply, though his calm tone belied the bitter, harsh note beneath. Axel looked back at him, determined.

"They overran this place, didn't they?" The following silence confirmed his question. "Let's call Saix and Cloud and fight them off! Come on! We can take these cowards!"

But the brunette shook his head. "No. If we fight them here, it'll draw too much attention. News will reach the queen of other dragon riders, and she won't hesitate to hunt us down and bind us in her service."

Axel growled, preparing to argue, but he was cut off as Leon continued.

"Fighting here could cause trouble for the people as well, and it looks to me like they have it hard enough as it is." Zhari was a free place for people to come and go, or live if they chose... or at least it had been. If the village was now being occupied by soldiers and knights from the capitol, Leon had to assume that they were either using the village for supplies or free labor. Or perhaps they were looking for something...

"Fine." Axel grumbled, slinging his pack higher on his shoulder as he began descending the hill towards the gate. Leon sighed and followed him quietly, observing carefully as they approached. Even in his silence, the redhead's temper was flaring, his master knew. At that moment, the boy was anything but fine.

Before they reached the gate, Axel stopped and turned to his master, completely serious.

"Should we really be going down there if it's so dangerous?"

The brunette sighed again, rubbing his forehead in mild irritation. "Whatever will happen at this point, will happen..." In truth, their supplies were running on empty, and even with the hermit's amazing hunting and tracking skills, the forest didn't have everything that they needed to survive.

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Entering the village was relatively easy. Leon lied to the guards, telling them that they were forced to abandon their home when it was consumed by a great fire, burning up until there was nothing left. They had salvaged what little money and possessions they could, but had decided to come to Zhari to work for a while, until they could earn enough money to go out and find a place of their own someday.

Axel was convinced that the only reason they got in was so there would be more free labour the soldiers could take advantaged of, but he could've cared less about that. He was still fuming that these once great men of honor were now pillaging the village like common thieves.

"Hey! What did I say about fighting in line?" One man in armor shouted at a crowd in one of the alleys. "By order of the Queen, you are to cooperate with our soldiers in our investigation! If I see any of you trying to start a riot, I can call my dragon and have you all burned to a crisp!"

"Investigation?..." The redhead wondered what they were looking for. As he followed Leon down the dusty street, Axel focused on just getting into a warm bed as soon as they found a place to drop their stuff. He let that pleasant thought slip in, trying to ignore his frustration as he watched people being pushed around and bullied everywhere. All by the once proud dragon knights...

Soon enough, Leon found a cheap inn that was willing to take them. The worn-looking owner smiled, getting up slowly from his chair and showing them the various rooms to choose from.

Finally, to Axel's relief, Leon decided on a room in the back of the building. The owner said it was the best he could offer them, and his student was more than ready to just chill for a while.

The room was small and a little dirty, with a tiny fireplace for cold nights, a large, single bed, a table and several old, termite-chewed wooden chairs, and a small extra room with a tub for bathing. There was also one window with old, tattered drapes, looking out at the street and a few more houses.

"Nice view we got..." Axel added curtly, flopping down on the bed and wincing slightly. It was stiff like a board.

"It'll have to do for now. " Leon replied, handing the man the money so that he could be on his way and let them get settled. Once he was gone, Axel cursed and rubbed his sore back, while his master laughed and sat down at the table.

"You're quite the primadonna, Axel..."

The redhead growled and snapped back.

"Shut up, Leon! I'm pissed enough as it is without _you_ making it worse!...Now, bed..."

The brunette sighed and set his pack down on the floor. He watched as Axel turned his back to him on the bed, rolling over and immediately going still.

Leon left shortly after, claiming that he wanted to see what else had changed since his last visit. He could also mingle with the people and gather information, brushing up on local gossip. Axel only grunted in response, lost in his undead slumber, as his master left on his mission.

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It was hours later when Axel finally woke up, his stomach growling but otherwise feeling refreshed from the nap. Even a stiff bed was better than no bed at all...

Leon still wasn't back yet, the redhead realized, as he searched the room briefly and found no one there. Looking out the window, he noticed the sun just beginning to set beyond the horizon.

_Maybe I'll go out for a bit too. Just to check this place and find some grub. _The inn provided meals, but after seeing the state of the kitchens and store rooms, Axel shuddered in disgust. Though in this village, he probably wasn't going to do much better elsewhere...

Sighing, Axel pulled on a coat, his boots, and his trusty goggles before he set out into the streets of Zhari. As the sun sank lower, the people began returning from their work, going straight home and thus leaving most of the streets uncrowded. The redhead smiled a little, walking down the now quiet, peaceful street...

But the silence was a little unnerving, to say the least. No delicious smells floated in the evening air, evidence from the open windows that supper was on its way. Instead, the air was cool and almost stagnant, and the windows were all closed, if not tightly bolted shut. And no children were out and about in the streets, joyfully bringing their dreams and fantasies to life in play.

It seemed...dead. Like the village had lost it lifeblood, its vigor and excitement. Was this really what the world was like now, with the queen in control of everything?

Axel had been walking for god knows how long, thinking quietly to himself and wondering where the knights had all-

"NO! LET ME GO! SOMEONE HELP, PLEASE!"

The redhead's eyes snapped to attention instantly. Without hesitating, he turned in the direction of those screams, dashing into a nearby alley and soon running all out.

He vaguely remembered promising Leon he'd stay out of trouble. From the moment they'd begun this journey, Axel knew it was going to be dangerous at times. Possibly life-threatening. And this could be one of those times. If he just turned around and walked away...

No. Right now, it didn't matter that he could be running into a dangerous fight. Right now, all he cared about was finding whoever was crying for help.

The thing about Axel was: if he didn't find trouble, it usually would find him anyways...


	4. Chapter 4

It was fully dark now as Axel exited the alley, glancing around quickly for any sign of a struggle. Before him was an intersection that offered four new paths, with a signpost on the sidewalk indicating what was in each direction. As he stepped under the small, faint street light to read the sign, another scream caught his ears, and the redhead immediately turned to the eastern route, labeled 'market street.'

Just as he was about to start running again, a gruff, soft voice called him back.

"I wouldn't be goin there if I was you, son..."

Axel turned to see one of the windows on the long, dusty brick building beside him had opened, and a tired old man was leaning out of it cautiously, giving him an irritable look.

"You must be new ta this place. It's best not to meddle in things what don't concern ya..."

The boy glared a little back at him, his temper flaring. "Didn't you hear that? Someone out there needs help! How can you just sit here and do nothing?"

The old man grumbled and shook his head, but Axel caught the light of something in his tired old eyes. Was it fear?

"I told ya, kid. Them guards are ruthless and violent; it's best not te give em a reason ta meddle with ya. No one's safe these days..."

"But I can't just do nothing!" Axel bit back, furious now. What was really going on here, if the people were too scared to even leave their homes at night? And no one would help a person crying in distress?

The man motioned for him to keep his voice down, grumbling as he pulled the shutters closed.

"Suit yourself, kid. I dun want any trouble now. Dun come cryin ta me if ya land your sorry ass in jail..."

Axel gaped indignantly at the now closed window, his mind cursing in frustration. But he shook his head and turned away. Cowardly scum like him weren't worth his time...

With that, the redhead made for the path to market street, ignorant of the eyes that followed him through the window cracks as he disappeared down the street.

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It wasn't long before Axel made it down into the market square, following the cries that continued to sound, ignored in the night. The square was similar to the market in his own village, but even his wasn't this shabby and rundown-looking.

The path was stone and dirt, leading down into an open space lined with stalls and barrels. The stalls themselves were made of grubby wood, like the kind you might find holding together a rickety old ship, and covered overtop with light tarps of various dusty, dull colors.

There were other paths leading into the marketplace it seemed, but they were all blocked by crates and piles of rubbish jammed up in front of them, the contents of which also giving the square a strange, unpleasant smell. The redheaded boy wrinkled his nose in disgust before glancing around more. Each stall had signs depicting their products and goods, some of them written in dialects Axel wasn't familiar with, and they each backed up to a large, old brick building that looked like it housed several families in one. Axel guessed that the owners lived there with their friends and families, bringing their stores in at night and locking up so nothing could be stolen.

Or at least the smart ones would, anyway. Thieving probably wasn't out of the question in a place this destitute...

The disturbance was coming from one of the smaller stalls along the street, near the bottom-left corner. As he squinted, Axel spotted three or four guards gathered by the stall, some laughing while the others moved around.

Quietly, the redhead crept closer, not ready to be discovered just yet. Hiding behind a nearby stall, he listened in on bits of the argument.

"Please, don't hurt him! I-It was my fault, sir, I'm the one who was stealing food from the cart!"

The voice was small and terrified, obviously belonging to a young girl. He couldn't see her behind the mass of dark figures in front, but Axel heard a dark voice chuckle loudly, mocking her sobs.

"Aw, ain't that cute! Well, missy, truth is the two of you were caught breaking the curfew, a serious crime by itself! Now that you've confessed to stealing, I guess it'll be a couple nights in the stocks for you!"

"No!"

As he approached, Axel saw one of the men step back as a young boy charged forward, swinging what looked like an old broom wildly in desperation. The man laughed, side-stepping a few blows as the boy growled.

"Looky here, boys! This one's a fighter!"

But immediately, as he was distracted, the boy made contact with the guard's head, causing him to stumble and groan in pain. The other guards laughed hysterically, not at all worried, as the one holding the blond girl chuckled.

"What was that, Alastor? It seems you can't handle one little brat with a broomstick! Desdae will be laughing her head off, if she doesn't know already!"

"Shut up!" the man snarled, reaching forward swiftly and grabbing the broom with both hands. Axel saw him wrestle with the boy for a moment before the old wood splintered and the boy was thrown back on the ground, yelping as he hit.

Alastor loomed over him now, growling as he kicked and punched the boy huddled on the ground. Two of the other men laughed and joined in, while the blond girl struggled to get free.

"NO! PLEASE STOP! LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

"What the hell's going on here?"

The men stopped and turned as Axel stepped under the small street light, glaring fiercely. He took a small step forward, pushing his goggles up a little on his head. "Where do you assholes get off beating up a bunch of kids at night?"

The guard holding the girl took a step forward as well, letting her go as he stared down the unwanted onlooker. She raced to the blond boy's side, kneeling protectively over him and shaking his shoulders gently.

Alastor turned and sneered as well. "Who's this punk? I haven't seen him around here before!"

"I'm no one important," Axel shrugged, answering honestly. "Just passing by when I heard the commotion. But seriously, you don't have anything better to do than steal lunch money?"

"We don't steal anything!" Alastor growled back. He reached down and grabbed the blond girl's wrist, dragging her to her feet beside him. "We make sure little whelps like these two don't go breaking the rules!"

"What, like walking around after dark? That sounds pretty dumb to me...It seems like these rules could use a little breaking!"

Axel didn't seem to care that he had nothing to fight with. He charged at the guards, slamming one right in the nose with the lower part of his palm. The man stumbled back and yelled in pain, holding his profusely bleeding nose with both hands. The other man seemed to delay, startled by Axel's swift attack, so the redhead took his opening and slammed the other palm right up into his nose.

Having distracted those two, the redhead turned to the man named Alastor, who shoved the squirming girl aside and withdrew a long, sharp blade from his belt. Just as he was about to move, Axel grunted as something hard collided with his back and sent him face-first into the stone.

"I figured you were new and weren't familiar with our curfew laws, but not even the dumbest foreigner would dare attack a dragon knight, let alone anyone of his guards..."

Axel brought his head up and spat the dirt and blood out of his mouth, glaring at the man he had prepared to attack.

"You're a dragon knight?"

Alastor smirked back, flicking some of his long brown hair over his shoulder as he strode forward.

"Correct. And now you're going to get it, boy...just like these brats..."

But both men looked down at him, surprised, as Axel began to snicker. The redhead smirked up at the knight, his green eyes daring.

"And you couldn't even dodge one measly hit from a broom? That must make you the lowest ranked knight on the whole force..."

Alastor's face turned bright red, and his fists clenched as he leaned down and grabbed a handful of Axel's hair.

"You insolent brat! I'll teach you to mock me!"

His metal fist collided with Axel's face several times, and he smirked evilly at the boy's pain. Axel twisted this way and that in his grip, biting his lip hard so that he wouldn't groan or whine, but the man sitting on him wouldn't budge at all to let him escape. He stayed there, unflinching, as the hard blows rattled his brain and battered his face. He wasn't afraid of them!

Suddenly, there were no more fists punching him, and Axel creaked one eye open to see Alastor sprawled on the ground in front of him, and no weight on his back. Getting up slowly, he turned to see Leon holding the other soldier in a headlock, squeezing tightly as the man clawed for his face.

"Am I glad to see you!"

Leon grimaced a little, turning to look at him with stern eyes as he applied more pressure.

"Good to see you payed attention when I said, 'No getting into trouble,'" he grunted, letting the now limp man slide to the ground in front of him. He clapped a bit of the dirt off his hands and looked down at the man in disgust. "What a mess you've made now..."

Axel bent down and poked the guard's face. "Is he dead?"

"No, that would be a huge scandal, and half the queen's forces would be here trying to find out who had the audacity to kill a soldier..."

"But won't they come anyway, since they'll find out someone had the audacity to attack a dragon knight?"

Leon shot him a look, and Axel laughed nervously, getting to his feet. Something was telling him he'd be in trouble for this later, assuming they could still get out of it...

The redhead looked down at the dragon knight in disgust, giving him a good kick in the face and smiling at the satisfying crack he heard in reply. Then remembering why he'd attacked the soldiers in the first place, Axel turned to the two children still huddled on the floor.

The boy was lying out cold on the ground, looking pretty beat up from his encounter with the guards. The girl beside him had light blond hair that reached to her shoulders, pulled back into a loose ponytail behind her. She wore a dusty short tunic that looked to have once been white, and leggings that reached just above her ankles. Neither she or the boy were wearing shoes, and as he came closer, Axel noticed that their feet were covered in little scrapes and bruises.

Slowly, the redhead knelt down in front of the girl, smiling warmly. "Don't be afraid; I'm not going to hurt you..."

The worry slowly faded from the girl's face, and she smiled as she reached out and shook his hand. Axel was nearly blown away, as he looked into eyes so bright and shining blue.

"My name is Namine. Thank you so much for helping us...sorry about what he did to your face..."

Axel took her small, delicate hand in his and chuckled lightly. "The name's Axel, kid. And don't worry about it! My head's made of stronger stuff than that! These things will heal in no time!" He poked one of the purple bruises, wincing slightly as he laughed.

Namine smiled shyly before turning back to the boy beside her, grasping his shoulders again and shaking them a little.

"Roxas...Roxas...Please wake up..."

The boy stirred a little, mumbling a soft response before he sank back into sleep. Namine looked at him sadly, placing a hand on his cheek and rubbing a dark bruise lightly with her thumb.

"They sure did a number on him, didn't they?" Axel sighed, settling down beside her and taking a look at the damage. Out of curiosity, he asked, "Were they really that worked up about a little food and a broken curfew?"

The blond girl sighed, nodding meekly.

"A lot of the food in this town goes to the soldiers, and there isn't much to go around once they've had their pick. We only get so much food rationed to us per week, and I-I guess I just wasn't thinking clearly...I-I wanted to go find something to eat, and Roxas told me not to, but h-he...h-he wouldn't let me go alone. I-I feel awful about this..." Namine reached up and wiped the tears from her eyes, her shoulders lightly shaking as she sobbed. "I-I'ts all my fault he got hurt..."

Axel put an arm around her and waited for her to calm down. He looked up as Leon came over, having made sure the guards were out and wouldn't be waking up too soon.

"Now...What was so important that you had to go and play hero?"

The redhead shot him a small glare, as he helped the blond girl to her feet.

"This place's more fucked up than we thought...I'm guessing you found that out already?"

The brunet nodded, sighing in slight frustration. "It was a mistake to come here. Supplies or not, it's almost impossible to leave once you're here, and now we have this fiasco to make it even harder!"

"Hey! I couldn't just let them go around beating up kids!" Axel shot back, quickly losing his temper. He didn't want to argue with his master about this now. Leon was a good man with a strong sense of morals, but the fact that he could have ignored this and just kept walking really burned the boy up inside...

He turned back to Namine, patting her softly on the shoulder as she stopped crying.

"I'll walk you back home, if you want. Just show me where you live..."

The girl looked worried at first, but with a reassuring grunt from Leon, she looked back at Axel and smiled politely.

"It's this way. I just need some help getting Roxas home too..."

Axel walked over to the unconscious boy and pulled him gently into his arms, finally taking a closer look at him. The boy had very soft, light blond hair like Namine's, but his did not fall back onto his shoulders, straight and long as hers did. Instead, tufts of it spiked and spiraled upward, in an almost unreal mass of tangled locks that sat high on his head. His clothes were simple and ratty, just like Namine's, but he was noticeably thinner and lighter, weighing almost nothing in Axel's skinny arms. It was almost inhuman how thin he was!

The boy's face, though littered with bruises and marks, was cherubic and slightly feminine, making him look younger than he probably was. Axel would have placed him at twelve or thirteen, but in reality he was probably closer to sixteen.

"Mr. Axel?"

The redhead blinked up to see Namine waiting for him, looking at him curiously as she fiddled with the hem of her tunic nervously. Axel realized that he'd been staring and quickly looked away, a slight blush staining his cheeks. How long had he been standing there?

"If you're ready, Axel, I think it's about time we made ourselves scarce. Those guards won't be sleeping forever..."

Axel looked back at the unconscious soldiers disdainfully before he nodded, and quickly followed Namine out of the market square.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Leon said nothing as they walked back through the alleyways towards the main road. Namine insisted that they take this way, as fewer guards would be patrolling there, and it would give them a chance to hide if necessary. The blond girl talked quite a bit, as she nervously glanced around, but Axel was more than willing to indulge her. He wasn't a big fan of long, awkward silences.

"So where are you two from? You don't look like you've been here very long..."

"Oh, we were just passing through when we happened to get stuck here," Axel replied casually, hoisting his sleeping cargo slightly to put less pressure on his arms. "We wander from place to place a lot these days..."

"That sounds cool," Namine said, smiling at him softly. "We don't see too many new people these days. Everyone knows better and stays away from Zhari..."

"Yeah..." Axel chuckled nervously, shooting Leon a brief look while Namine was occupied, looking out for more guards. The brunette made a quick obscene gesture in response, and Axel snorted to himself, earning a quizzical look from the blond girl.

Shuffling a little, the redhead asked, "So, where do you two live?"

"We both live at Madam Gainsborough's orphanage, over on Destiny Lane. I came to live there just a year or so ago, when my mother was killed in a carriage accident."

"Huh..." Axel looked thoughtfully down at the boy in his arms. "How'd you and Roxas end up together?"

The girl blushed and shook her head, looking slightly flustered.

"W-We're not together! I met Roxas when I came here, and he was one of the few children there who would talk to me, besides maybe Olette. H-He said he liked my drawings..." Her voice faded off, as she looked down and away from the chuckling boy beside her.

"Aw, that's cute! Nothing to be embarrassed about! I'm guessing he likes you a lot, from the way he stood up for you like that..."

Namine smiled shyly. "H-He's like a big brother to me...Always looking out for me like m-my...my real brother used to..."

Axel raised an eyebrow curiously.

"What happened to him?"

"H-He...H-He was forced to join the dragon knights...back when I was ten..."

"Ohhhhh..." From the way she'd clammed up and was looking away sadly, Axel guessed that it was a touchy subject for Namine. He couldn't blame her, after seeing Alastor in action...

Just then, a soft moan caught their attention, and everyone in the group froze and looked at the boy in Axel's arms. Roxas blinked up and around, taking in his surroundings with bleary, distant eyes. Axel immediately locked onto those eyes, which were the most brilliant, vibrant shade of blue he had ever seen.

"Roxas!" Namine cried, tearing up a little as she raced over to him. The girl smiled and reached out to stroke his cheek, careful not to aggravate the dark bruise there. "How are you feeling?"

The boy blinked at her, then up at Axel, before his eyes widened in fear. Before anyone could say anything else, the little blond began squirming violently in the redhead's hold, his eyes tightly clamped shut in panic.

"Woah! Calm down, kid! It's okay!"

"Roxas, please! He's not going to hurt you!"

But Axel loosened his grip all the same, and Roxas stumbled before colliding with the cold, filthy ground. He back away into a wall and sat there, shivering, as the three other people approached.

"Roxas, what's wrong?" Namine begged, looking beyond worried. She knelt by his side, holding him tightly to try and calm him down, while her other hand shot to his forehead, checking for any sign of a fever. But nothing appeared to be wrong with him.

Axel tried to come closer too, but Roxas cried out and grabbed his head, looking like he had a bad headache.

"What's the matter with him?"

Namine shook her head, looking at a loss for what to do. "I-I don't know! I-I've seen him get this way sometimes before...but never this bad!"

"You're one of them!"

They turned their attention back to Roxas, who's eyes now glimmered with anger and confusion.

"You're one of them!" he spat, still shivering as he glared directly at Axel. "Monsters! Scum! You only bring destruction and death!"


	5. Chapter 5

"Roxas! What are you saying?" Namine cried, looking a mix between frightened and angered by his outburst. "These men just saved us!"

The blond boy turned his head away, shaking it vehemently and crying out as if in pain. Namine looked back at Axel, completely at a loss for what to do. He, in turn, shrugged and looked back at Leon, who was leaning back against the wall and looking as far removed from the situation as he possibly could. None of them had any idea.

Finally Axel sighed. Instead of avoiding the distraught boy, he strode over and knelt down in front of him. Namine looked hopeful, and the redhead saw Roxas visibly wince, weakly shying away from him. Was he angry or terrified? And why? What caused a reaction like this?

The wall behind Roxas blocked off any possible escape, but even if he could, Axel knew that with the sound beating he'd taken, the kid wouldn't make it too far on his own. He took the boy's shoulders firmly, feeling the smaller body tremble at the contact.

"Look at me..."

The blonde kept his gaze elsewhere, and Axel was surprised to see tears in his eyes. Axel was so confused he almost lost his resolve. Now the blonde was almost frozen, gripping his head with one small, shaky hand and looking everywhere but the man in front of him.

"Get away from me!"

_Geez...Does this kid have some weird personality disorder? he thought._

"You're name's Roxas, right? Look at me." he commanded again, a little more impatiently. He didn't want to grab the boy and upset him more, but this behavior was getting old pretty fast, and the blonde didn't seem too intent on cooperating.

When Roxas finally looked him straight in the eye, Axel blinked. Those eyes that were once bluer than the sea were now tinted red; angry and burning like fire all on their own. The blue of those irises was not completely overtaken by it, but glowed with it.

"You need to calm down," Axel said calmly, pushing that strange sight aside for a moment. "Whatever problem you've got with me's gonna have to wait until we're somewhere safer. Okay?"

Roxas said nothing, but his jaw tightened a little, and he glared weakly as the redhead backed away.

"Murderers..." was the last thing any of them heard before the boy groaned loudly in pain. He gripped his head tighter for a moment, and then his hand and head fell limp as he slumped back against the wall behind him.

Namine moved quickly to catch him, but had a hard time sitting him back up because they were roughly the same size. Probably close in weight, too, but Axel couldn't be sure. Struggling, Namine turned back to him, wincing a little at the annoyed look he was shooting her. But, unable to ignore that begging face, Axel sighed and came back over to them, laying Roxas across his knee as he adjusted his hold.

"That was...interesting. Is he always this friendly to strangers?"

The blond girl looked down sadly, shaking her head a little. "W-Well, it's sort of...complicated. He's a little-"

"What's going on here?"

All heads snapped around, alarmed by the sudden voice. Just a little ahead, under one of the streetlights, the silhouette of a woman appeared, walking toward them slowly. The shadow grew, and soon she was right at hand, where they could see she was somewhat young looking. Her clothes were simple, if only a little brighter and more colorful than most of the other townsfolk, and her light brown hair was pulled into a long, loose ponytail that flowed behind her. Axel saw instantly that her eyes were kind, but stern; they held a soft urgency and warning in them that made her seem older, wiser...

"Namine, what have I told you about running out after dark? You both know better than that!"

Namine lowered her head and scratched the back of her neck sadly.

"I know...It's just, well, I..."

"No excuses!" the woman replied, putting her hands on her hips. Namine didn't seem to know what else to say to that, so she held silent. The overall silence persisted for only a moment though, and before Axel or anyone else could break it, the woman's stern look slowly melted to one of loving dismay.

"Honestly, what am I going to do with you two?...Come on now. Come back inside at once..." She glanced quickly at the newcomers before adding, "You may bring your new friends, if they wish. This isn't the place to speak or linger casually, I'm afraid."

Namine smiled softly, pausing to look back at Axel and Leon reassuringly. Although...

"Miss Aerith..." she said nervously, getting to her feet and running to the woman's open arms. "It's Roxas...he-"

The brunette sighed and shook her head. "Let me guess, it happened again, didn't it?" After a small, guilty nod from Namine, she sighed again, petting the girl's blonde hair comfortingly. "We'd better bring him inside. I'm assuming these strangers wouldn't mind stopping in for a drink?" She addressed the last part to the men with a small smile.

Leon was still silent, leaning with his back against the wall. He hadn't made a move through much of Roxas's little episode, but he watched the brunette woman curiously for a moment, weighing in the options.

"Thanks. It's greatly appreciated," was all he said.

Aerith smiled kindly, motioning them to follow her. "It's the least I can do. Thank you for looking after those two for me; they're quite the little handfuls."

"Do you serve beer?" Axel chirped, suddenly back to his usual self at the prospect of a good drink. His hometown could only afford what they brewed themselves, which, in his opinion, was cheap and tasted like piss and vinegar.

Leon promptly smacked him, ignoring his pupil's angry groan as he followed the two women back down the cobbled street. Even in the dim lamplight, they seemed to know exactly where they were going, and in no time at all, they reached a small little place on the far corner of the street. The old sign read, "Madam Gainsborough's Adoption Center," and Axel frowned slightly as he looked over the run-down old building.

"Geez..." he whispered. It looked like it could use more than a little fixing up. The roof looked shabby, the walls looked faded, and overall, it didn't smell all that great. "Nice piece of work you've got here..."

"What did you expect?" Axel practically jumped a foot in the air, not realizing that the boy he carried was conscious again. He looked down to see a look of cold indifference in his eyes, that had now long returned to their original blue brilliance. There was still that undertone of deep loathing there as well, but Roxas seemed to be intent on looking anywhere but back at squirmed a little too, clearly uncomfortable, which in turn made Axel a bit uncomfortable as well.

_What the hell is up with this kid?_

"The city's a dump. It's not like they're gonna invest a whole lot of time or money in a shelter for a bunch of snot-nosed brats, are they?"

Namine looked slightly hurt, but Aerith simply shook her head and looked back at him sternly.

"Roxas, you really shouldn't say those things..."

"Why not?" he muttered back quietly, barely above a whisper. He crossed his arms in a perfect, childish pout. "It's true... No body wants us. No body can afford to adopt us now, with all these soldiers here sucking them dry..."

Aerith frowned then, stopping just short of the door and making her way over to Axel slowly. Roxas didn't move, didn't even look up as she approached, so he wasn't expecting the harsh smack on the top of his head. The blond groaned and rubbed the spot sorely, glaring up at Aerith weakly, but said nothing at all. Axel just gaped in half amusement, half shock. For such a kind, sweet-looking woman, she sure packed a punch! That really looked like it hurt!

Aerith rubbed her forehead for a moment, looking like she was developing a painful headache. Axel privately wondered if the boy was this difficult with everyone all the time. Then again, he'd only known Roxas for all of ten minutes.

"I won't put up with any of that tonight, Roxas." she said softly but firmly, making a point to watch him even when he looked away, still pouting, rubbing the additional bump on his head. "You're in a lot of trouble for sneaking out, and I'm already up to my ears in work. I can't understand why you do this. You know I don't like to punish you."

Roxas turned his cold, knowing glare to Axel out of the corner of his eye, fixing it there briefly before he looked away again. Axel blinked for a moment, both curious about what Aerith was talking about and why the kid was giving him such a cold shoulder. If looks could kill, the redhead was sure he'd have been dead several times over by now.

Aerith didn't acknowledge the exchange if she noticed it. But she had apparently finished her lecture, reaching out to pet the blond's head softly as he grumbled and and blushed slightly. Roxas heaved a heavy sigh and reluctantly leaned closer to Axel, trying to brush it off. The woman smiled, slowly dragging her gaze up to meet Axel's.

"Thank you again for keeping these children safe. I think he can walk on his own now."

The redhead smiled sheepishly, a slightly flush in his cheeks now too. Setting the boy on his feet at his side, Axel scratched his head awkwardly.

"S'no big." Then he felt the presence of Leon right behind him, the brunette a bit more articulate and dignified.

"Your hospitality is appreciated. We'll return to our inn soon, with your pardon. We wouldn't want to trouble you or your tenants."

Aerith met his usual stiff look with a brighter smile. "It's no trouble whatsoever. Let me just go settle the little ones in bed."

She unlocked the door in no time and led them inside the small, modest building. There was a counter on the far side of the room and several dusty-looking pictures on the old, peeling yellow wallpaper. Axel could only see it was yellow because of a few candles lit on the counter. He also saw a door to the right of the counter, and Aerith led them through to reveal a small bar/kitchen area. It was connected to what looked to be a playroom, and several younger looking children were play with a big red ball and other scattered little toys. The kids looked to be between the ages of 8 and 12 mostly. A little girl with light colored hair ran up to them, tugging slightly at Aerith's skirts.

"Miss Aerith, Seifer, Rai, and Fuu were picking on Selphie again! They tried to lock her in the closet!" the girl whined, hugging Aerith tighter. The woman sighed softly.

"Oh dear." With a glance back at her guests, she joked weakly, "I do love these children, but I swear they'll be the death of me one day." She smiled down at the little girl kindly, brushing a bit of hair out of her face. "I appreciate you telling me, Penelo. I'll have a talk with them later. For now, it's bed time."

The girl nodded, hurrying back over to the group, telling them it was time for lights out. Aerith looked to Namine next. "Dear, could you help me tuck the children in? You know how they love your stories before they go to sleep."

"Of course, Miss Aerith," the blonde said politely. Compared to Roxas, she was a sweet, helpful, perfect little angel. Axel was still baffled by it all when the two women excused themselves to go help the kids, leaving him, Leon, and a very disgruntled Roxas left waiting by the bar.

The blonde said nothing, though he did glare pretty heatedly at the two of them for most of the time. Finally, after several minutes of awkward frustration and tension, Axel couldn't take it anymore.

"Alright, kid. Do you wanna just say what's wrong? Do I have something on my face or something? Huh?" He gestured with wildly waving hands, sounding very exasperated. Leon said nothing to back him up.

Roxas spared no hatred in his voice as he spat, "You bring a curse with you, you selfish pigs! You just don't care what you destroy to get what you want!"

"What the h- What does that have to do with anything?"

"I can see it!" the boy snapped harshly, pointing an accusing finger at Axel. "Your eyes! Your whole being speaks of your cruelty! You who bring those terrible curses, born of fiery demon's wings!"

Axel paused, seeing that heated, red glow returning to the boy's eyes. Fire? Did that mean the boy knew about their dragons?

"Roxas, you need to calm down." All heads turned to see Aerith reentering the room, closing the door softly behind her. The boy's eyes narrowed, seeming more on edge as she approached him, but the woman did not go to him straight away. She went to a cabinet lining the top of the bar along the wall and pulled out a small bottle of something. Then, pulling out a small spoon, poured a crystal-blue, gellous liquid into it before she approached the blonde.

"Take this. It'll help you sleep."

The blonde looked like he was considering bolting, but Axel, by some instinct, moved between the boy and the door, cutting off his possible escape. He didn't know exactly why, but was given long enough to think about the action. Roxas made a small hissing noise, causing the redhead to recoil back slightly, but Aerith firmly thrust the spoon towards him, and with some reluctance, he accepted it into his mouth. Grimacing at whatever the taste of the medicine, Roxas seemed to slowly calm; his breathing became less erratic, his hands unclenched beside him, and his shoulders relaxed. His eye became blue again and even became a little droopy. Aerith saw this and smiled softly again, placing a hand on his back.

"I'll be right back again. I truly am sorry about the delay. I'll just put him to bed and deal with the punishment later."

They disappeared into the back area again, and soon Aerith was back in no time at all.

"I sorry about him, too," she said as she approached the bar, leaning down to brush a bit of dust and dirt off her skirt. "For reasons I can't fully explain, Roxas has these little...phases of his. He turns wild, like an animal."

Axel blinked. "You mean he gets mad? Or crazy maybe?"

She shook her head. "No, it's not really that. It's more that...he's scared. He reacts like an animal like that when he doesn't know how to react. But no matter what it looks like on the outside, he's just scared, I can feel it. The poor thing." She opened a different cabinet this time and pulled out a big bottle of something. Axel perked up instantly.

"Free beer? OW!" Leon retracted his hand and looked away indifferently. Axel grumbled, rubbing his sore head. How did he always manage to do that and look so nonchalant?

Aerith chuckled a little. "Sorry. I don't mean to laugh, or bore you with our stories. I just get so used to it, being around the little ones so long. My life has become entirely about them," she said, smiling a sad, warm smile.

Axel caught it. "But what about you? Don't you go home to a family of your own?"

The woman's face looked momentarily pained. "I...I can't have children. Not anymore."

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't to-"

"It's fine, it's fine." Aerith looked at him firmly. "I get more than enough out of working here with these children. They're mine until they can find a good, loving home. It's always sad to see one go, but I know in my heart I've made a difference in their lives. I hope they'll always remember me, and think of me once in a while." She sighed, setting two glasses down beside the bottle. "Would you like some?"

Axel nodded avidly, while Leon's was a bit more reserved. They each took a glass and thanked her in turn.

"But wait," Axel said, "Aren't you having any?"

Aerith looked surprised. "Oh, me? No, no! I don't drink this stuff! The only reason I still have any of it is because my husband used to be a connoisseur! I've kept these around because they make me think of him."

"Oh...Then, are you sure it's okay to have some?"

"Yes, yes, it's fine," she assured them. "I keep the bottles as mementos. There's no use in the saving the drinks when I don't even like them. Though, it is a problem when Seifer and his little group try to get into them."

Axel choked a laugh. "Oh, really?"

They stood around and talked for a bit about nothing in particular. Various topics from the age of the drinks to the history of the town.

"So, are these soldiers here new or have they always been this strict here?"

Aerith sighed sadly, lowering her eyes. "Zhari used to be a beautiful city before they came. It seems so long ago now. But the knights came here almost a month ago, and now everything is in ruins. All for their selfish greed."

"Do you know what it is they are seeking?" Leon asked simply. Aerith shook her head.

"No one knows for sure. Some of the old men say they are here to bleed us dry, taking what little we have left back to the queen. The dragon riders and their soldiers certainly have stolen enough gold from the rest of us." She spat the name 'dragon rider,' and Axel had to wince slightly. Perhaps everyone here had it out for them. Would they hate him and Leon too, if they knew about their dragons? "But I've heard other rumors that it is a single object. Or a person who might be keeping the object from them."

Axel hummed. "I wonder what they're after."

"They won't tell us, but people have been disappearing little by little since they came, and now they're even refusing to let people out. I had meant to send a letter to an old friend of mine, but they aren't allowing anything to leave the city once inside." She sighed. "I'm afraid you two might be stuck here a little while."

"Not if I have something to say about it! Just let them try and keep me in here!" Axel said, pounding his fist on the counter. Leon looked a little startled by the suddenness, but Aerith just looked away sadly.

"I'd just accept it, young man. Whatever brought you two here in the first place would have been better off ignored. Now you're trapped like the rest of us."

Axel looked ready to protest, but Leon spoke up before him, still quite calm. "Have the soldiers given any idea as to when they'll leave?"

Another head shake. "They seem to be here indefinitely. It does make me worried though. About the children." She clutched a bit of here skirt in her hands and twisted it absently. "No one will adopt them in these hard times, and with the city shut off, I can't leave with them."

Leon looked vaguely worried. "Speaking of your children, I would keep that wild boy of yours inside for a while. He caused quite a stir with those soldiers. I only hope they won't hold a grudge."

Aerith paled. "He didn't..."

"He did. Hopefully the dark will have protected those two from being easily recognized. I myself will have trouble keeping this one out of it," he motioned to Axel, who scoffed, "Even in the dark, I believe it is hard to mistake this hair."

"Hey! The hair is cool!" Axel grumbled back, unaware that Aerith was looking paler by the second. "You're just jealous!"

"Oh my. This is...this is terrible," she said, drawing the two back to her. She looked almost pale enough to be ill. "If they come here, they'll see him."

Leon nodded. "You have to keep him inside as much as possible. Namine might be harder to recognize, but Roxas also has very distinct hair."

"Oh Gods," she whispered. "I...I can't protect him from that. If he stays here, they'll find him for sure. I couldn't bear it if they took him away."

Leon paused for a moment, looking thoughtful. He then slowly approached the woman, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Axel may be overconfident, but I assure you, we will not be in this city much longer. Perhaps we could take him with us."

The redhead's jaw dropped at that. "What?"

Aerith ignored him as he began instantly spewing reasons why this was a terrible idea, looking up at Leon hopefully.

"You would do that for him?"

The man sighed, but nodded. "We could not keep him with us, mind you. But we could take him, help him find a new home somewhere else, if that would help him."

"No way! No way in hell is that angry brat coming with us!" Axel couldn't believe what he was hearing! Why did Leon suddenly care about this kid? Axel had decided he didn't really like him right away!

Neither Aerith nor Leon were listening to him though.

"You would do that for him?"

Leon smiled. It was strangely natural, considering everything. The idea must have pained him, at least a little less than it did Axel.

"For you, Madam, I'm willing to try." But unlike Aerith, they had something to lose if this went wrong. The boy could tell others about their dragons, or just make the whole journey even more tiring. Either way, Axel wasn't liking those odds.

Aerith stepped away from him, crossing her arms in thought.

"I don't know..." After a pause, she looked back them. "Give me til the morning, and then I'll have an answer."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Leon, have you lost your mind?" Axel growled once they had been shown out and the door closed.

"Be quiet, Axel," the man hissed back, waving a dismissive hand at him. "Do you want the soldiers on us for being out at this hour?"

"No," he mumbled back. "But I don't want that kid coming with us! What about the-"

Leon cut him off abruptly. "I know, I know. But I know what I'm doing. I get a sense there's something about that kid. I want to know what it is."

Axel knew that arguing was pointless by now. Once the hermit had his mind set on something, it was almost impossible to change it. Believe it or not, he was more stubborn than even Axel. The redhead sighed heavily, eager now to just go back to the inn and sleep this all off. Maybe the idea would look more appealing then.


End file.
